How to Create an Email Group in Outlook (Every Version)

Updated July 2026

Outlook calls an email group a contact list (in older versions, a contact group or distribution list). Whatever the name, the idea is the same: send one message, reach a whole set of people. This guide covers every current version of Outlook, plus company-wide distribution lists in Microsoft 365.

Quick answer: open the People view in Outlook, choose New contact list, add your members, save — then type the list’s name into the “To” field of any message.

First, a 20-second terminology check, because Microsoft uses three similar names:

• Contact list / contact group — a personal group stored in your contacts. Only you can use it.
• Distribution list — a company-wide address (like sales@yourcompany.com) managed by an admin in Microsoft 365 or Exchange. Anyone can send to it.
• Microsoft 365 Group — a heavier bundle that adds a shared mailbox, calendar, SharePoint site, and Teams integration.

Method 1: New Outlook and Outlook on the Web

Works in the new Outlook for Windows and at outlook.com / outlook.office.com.

1. Open the People view — click the people icon in the left-hand navigation bar.
2. Click the arrow next to New contact and choose New contact list.
3. Name the list (say, “Project Alpha”) and add members by typing their email addresses — press Enter after each one.
4. Click Create.
5. Use it: compose a new message and type the list’s name in the To field. Outlook expands it to all members.

Contact lists are stored with your account, so a list created on the web is available in the new Outlook apps too.

Method 2: Classic Outlook for Windows

1. Switch to People — click the people icon or press Ctrl+3.
2. On the Home tab, click New Contact Group.
3. Name the group, then click Add Members and pick from Outlook Contacts, the Address Book, or New E-mail Contact for someone you haven’t saved yet.
4. Save & Close.
5. Use it: type the group name in the To field of a new message. Tip: click the + next to the group name before sending to expand it into individual addresses — useful for checking exactly who will receive the message.

Method 3: Outlook for Mac

In recent versions of Outlook for Mac, open the People view and choose New Contact List. If the option is missing or greyed out in your version, create the list in Outlook on the web instead — it syncs to the same account and works everywhere.

Method 4: A Company-Wide Distribution List (Microsoft 365)

Personal contact lists only exist in your own mailbox. If your whole team should be able to email one address — all@yourcompany.com, support@yourcompany.com — you need a distribution list, and you (or IT) need admin access:

1. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center as an administrator.
2. Go to Teams & groups → Active teams & groups → Distribution lists.
3. Click Add a distribution list, give it a name and an email address.
4. Add members, and choose whether people outside the organization may send to it.
5. Save — the address usually starts working within a few minutes.

The Limits of Outlook’s Built-In Options

• Contact lists are personal. Colleagues can’t see or use your list; everyone maintains their own copy, and the copies drift apart. (Classic Outlook can forward a contact group as an attachment, but that just creates another copy to keep in sync.)
• No self-service. Members can’t join, leave, or update their own address — you edit the list by hand.
• Recipient caps. Exchange Online rejects messages with more than 500 recipients by default, and free Outlook.com accounts have much lower, unpublished daily limits — especially for newer accounts.
• Distribution lists need an admin. Every membership change goes through whoever has Microsoft 365 admin rights, which makes them a poor fit for community groups, clubs, or any list that changes often.
• No archive. New members can’t read anything sent before they joined.

The simpler way: a real mailing list

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Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between a contact group and a distribution list?

A contact group (contact list) lives in your personal contacts — it’s a private shortcut only you can use. A distribution list is a real, org-wide email address managed centrally in Microsoft 365 or Exchange: anyone can send to it, and every member receives the message. See our comparison of shared addresses and group email options for the bigger picture.

Can I share my Outlook contact list with colleagues?

Not really. In classic Outlook you can forward a contact group as an attachment for someone to import, but each person then owns a separate copy that goes stale independently. If a team needs one shared, always-current list, use a distribution list or a mailing list service.

How many people can I put in an Outlook email group?

Outlook doesn’t enforce a hard cap on list size, but sending does: Exchange Online’s default limit is 500 recipients per message, and free Outlook.com accounts hit lower daily limits. Large or frequently-used groups are better served by a dedicated list address.

How do I do this in Gmail?

Same concept, different names — Gmail uses contact labels and Google Groups. Step-by-step instructions are in our guide to creating a group email in Gmail.